Shortbead and Raspberry Linzer Cookies [Valentine's Day 2014]

Nothing says Valentine's Day like sweet treats. Cookies, chocolate, cakes whatever. I decided to go with fairly light tasting cookies because let's be serious, chocolate cake stuck in your teeth is not sexy. But you know what is? Ina Garten. Well, Ina's shortbread cookie recipe, with that much butter 'How bad can that be?' hahaha I'm a loser, but these cookies are not!

Chardonnay Braised Chicken Thighs [Valentine's Day 2014]

I'm really sorry about the silence the last few days. I've had some issues with Blogger and I'm taking actions on the back end to move to Wordpress in the next month or so.

To pick up where I left off last week, today's post is the perfect main course for Valentine's Day dinner. Dinner for two, or dinner for the whole family It's a perfect one-pot meal, although paired with chunky mashed potatoes and a lemon vinaigrette salad is how I serve it.

A Note

Seriously blogger, you suck. I've been having an issue since last week where I haven't been able to upload photos or publish posts, I think I have it figured out now. Be back to tomorrow!

Jalapeno and Cotija Cheese Crisps [Valentine's Day 2014]

Like most new parents, ever since having Emma we don't really get out for date night very often. But when we do, I really love squeezing every last minute of our time together. Drinks and appetizers are almost as good if not better than a full dinner sometimes. I think it allows you to slow down, talk and take small bites. drinks and appetizers also say the night has just begun instead of the rush halfway through dinner panicking that you've been out too late and you have to relieve the babysitter. We do not go out to a restaurant for Valentine's Day, ever. 

Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons [Valentine's Day 2014]

Come back every day this week for a different recipe or idea to help you celebrate Valentine's Day. Today's recipe is also perfect for meatless Mondays.

As a kid, valentine's day was not just celebrated between my parents, my mom always made it a point to make it fun and sweet for me too. For years, I would anticipate coming home from school to a little red tin filled with foil-wrapped chocolate hearts from See's. In the years since I've left college and have been in the working world, on the 14th day of February, a little bouquet of flowers has always been delivered to my office. As a mom myself now, I want to follow in my own mother's footstep in creating special little traditions that will be our own.

Weekly Wrap-Up 01.24.14

I can't believe January is almost over. I remember when I was a kid the days, weeks, months and years all seemed to go by so slow; and now, I will them to slow down. This week has been great, we've had amazing sunny and warm weather, I've made a few little purchases for our home and have been indulging in weekly fresh flowers to brighten up a few places throughout the house. There's something about waking up and seeing a few beautiful (and fragrant) blooms bedside to start the day in a good mood. This weekend I hope to do some grilling, and I'd like to take a little walk through our downtown farmer's market in the hopes of finding some really good seasonal produce.

Have a great weekend friends, and come back everyday next week for recipes and ideas that will be perfect for valentine's day!


photo of Julia Child by her husband, Paul via. Graphic by me

Crispy Potato Tacos



If there is any food that can get you to overeat it's these crispy potato tacos. And I don't mean over eat like you had one too many slices of pizza, or you ate an entire bag of chips during an episode of Downton. I'm talking about I just ate 7 tacos in one sitting and I'm thinking of a way to sneak another one after Emma's bath kind of overeating.

A Note

a couple of years ago I had another little blog that much like this one, no one ever visited. I was reading through some of the posts yesterday and came to the realization that 1.) I'm super lame, 2.) I was a better writer back then, and 3.) Some of the posts were kind of funny! (To me... I'm the only person reading this, remember?)

Jan/14 : Baking Essentials

Our oven is being repaired this week, and I never realized how much I actually use it until I couldn't. A lot of my recipes require finishing in the oven, roasting ingredients or using the broiler, and then there's the baking! ack! I've got my mind on my oven, and my oven on my mind, ( I am also a master butcher... of lyrics, forgive me.)

Meatless Mondays: Homemade Salsa

 

Chips and salsa are my favorite food. So when Emma's beloved former nanny, Isabel offered to teach me to make this salsa, using chiles she grows at her house; I couldn't say no. This homemade salsa  has the right amount of spicy bite and is packed full of bright flavors. Drizzle some on top of last week's green pozole, and an icy cold Mexican beer.  *note: these dried chiles are SPICY, be very careful when handling them and add them to your salsa incrementally... start with one and work your way up.

Weekly Wrap-Up | 01.17.14

This week has been warm and beautiful in Southern California, unfortunately, warm and beautiful will often times be accompanied by dry and windy. Yesterday, a brush fire swept through the foothills of my husband's hometown. Luckily, nobody was killed, very few were injured and only a few homes were lost. The photos from my in-law's house of the fire burning in the hills behind what was once their home, (They purchased a house about a mile away from us here in San Clemente last July, and had just closed escrow on their Glendora house) were breathtaking, and scary, (You can see one here.) Suffice to say, my thoughts and condolences are with everyone who has lost their home.

Savory Quinoa & Scallion Pancakes

Do you get as excited as I do every month when the new issue of Bon Appetit arrives in the mail? I subscribe to a number of cooking magazines and this one may be my favorite. Of course, January's edition was centered around healthy eating, a good thing with the amount of people (myself included) who resolve every year to stick to healthier food options. They definitely didn't disappoint.

Meatless Mondays: Green Pozole

Most of my childhood memories are associated with food. In the summer my mom would make gooey grilled cheese sandwiches and icy milkshakes to eat after going for swims, or after playing at the park. In the winter, she would sometimes make pozole, a one-bowl meal that will warm you up on a chilly day.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Happy Friday friends! This week has been a busy one for me, between recipe testing and spending time with Emma I've also been working on redecorating our bedroom, a place in our home we really haven't spent much time beautifying. So this weekend will consist of a little more bedroom shopping, thinking about this, this, and this, and of course enjoying the beautiful sun and weather we've been having in Southern California ,topped off with plenty of cooking and maybe the pinnacle of my weekend: Downton!! How is the weather where you are? Are you a true victim of the polar vortex? If so, stay warm and safe dear friends, and make a big batch of this to eat by your fire tonight.

photo via

Crispy French Fries

What better to go along with the best burger, but the best fries you never thought you could make at home?!? These fries are crispy on the outside, and tender on the inside, they're thin but not too thin, (think double arches, not shoestring.)

Make A big ol' batch and freeze them so you can have perfectly crispy French fries later this week, this weekend, next week... you know where I'm going with this.

The Perfect Burger

 

Whenever my husband Bryan makes dinner, it early always is on the grill. And not a gas grill, as he's quick to point out. He made these burgers a few nights ago and unfortunately, all I had time for was one quick, dark, iPhone photo. While he was making these babies up, I was writing down his ingredients, measurements and instructions and he couldn't resist throwing in a few unsolicited words of advice:  if you have a gas grill, stop here and return when you have a charcoal grill. And, my favorite; Use any kind of cheese to top your burgers, except American... ick! Do you use a gas grill? It's definitely faster and less cumbersome than a charcoal grill. And to be honest, a little American cheese never hurt anybody!

Lentils

Lentils are one of those things I like to eat when I'm feeling guilty for eating too much pasta or bread, (so, like, at least twice a week.) They're healthy, filling and pretty cheap to make. A winning trifecta! We like to eat them in their broth, with lots of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. On the second day, if we're not really in the mood for soup, I'll strain some of the lentils from their broth and instead top them with a poached egg, a drizzle of olive oil and some Parmesan cheese. You will want to do all of these things, because you like to fill your belly with healthy, delicious things. I promise you.

A New Series : Meatless Mondays

I really love the idea of Meatless Mondays, its good for you, good for the planet and good for saving some cash at the grocery store. I wouldn't kick any of those things out of bed, you know? The rules are simple: no pork, chicken, beef, fish, or anything that has/had a face, (too much?) And because the stuff inside of eggs don't yet have a face they're ok, same goes for milk and cheese. got it? good!

The first meatless Monday recipe will be up next! In the meantime you can check out this crispy tofu, bok choy and udon dish or and this refreshing persimmon and watercress salad or if it's cold where you are, an easy Mexican fideo soup!

photo by me

Crispy Tofu, Bok Choy and Udon Noodles

I love all types of Asian cuisine, what I don't like is all of the sauce that is usually left at the bottom of the pan or bowl. I don't like fishing the last little pieces of food from what looks like a bowl of soup. This recipe yields just enough sauce to coat the noodles and bok choy, without the soupy mess. I can't be the only person that dislikes that?!

Green Juice Smoothie in a Blender

2013 was a year of overindulgence for me. I'll admit to not keeping the best eating habits, drinking too much and not exercising enough. In the weeks since Thanksgiving, all we've done at my house is eat candy, cookies, Rice Krispie treats, and drink eggnog, (and lots of coffee.) So, like everyone else in the world we needed a little detox from the countless cups of coffee and spiked eggnog, at least for the rest of the week... because who am I kidding?